Method of forming a container



Feb. 23, 1960 B, w sg 2,925,757

METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER Filed Feb. 16, 1955 /IIIIIIIII4IIIIIIIIIIIII Inga/info)? CZZZeWfi 115077 %%M United tates Patent "ice METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER Allen B. Wilson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 16, 1955, Serial No. 488,500

4 Claims. (Cl. 93-365) This invention relates to improvements in containers of the type in which a non-metallic outer wall, usually of cylindrical form, is reinforced at one or both ends It has been the practice heretofore to unite metallic V rims with the end portions of container walls by means of metal staples or other fasteners or by punching portions of the telescoping parts to provide interlocking connections, but these prior methods, although generally providing secure connections, have involved a substantial additional item of cost for the materials and labor required to form such a construction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a container comprising a non-metallic wall and a reinforcing metallic rim which are securely connected to each other without any punching operation and without the use of any auxiliary fastening means. A further object of the invention is to provide a container comprising an outer non-metallic wall, formed preferably of fibreboard or the like, which is reinforced at its end by a metal rim which fits within the wall and which is provided along its outer edge with a hollow bead into which the end portion of the wall is curled and compressed to provide an interlocking connection between the wall and the rim. Still another object of the invention is to provide a new method of forming a container comprising the steps of forming an annular nonmetallic wall, forming a complete annular metal rim provided along one edge with either. an outwardly or an inwardly turned hollow bead having an opening along its margin sufiicient to receive said wall, then fitting said rim into said annular wall with the end of said wall extending into said bead, and then supporting said wall on its inner and outer sides and effecting relative movement of said rim and said wall toward each other to cause the end portion of said wall to curl within said bead and thereby form an enlargement substantially filling said bead. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement and to details of the improved method which will appear more fully hereinafter. V

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which two embodiments of the improved container and one example of the improved method are illustrated.

In the drawings,

Figure l shows a perspective view of the upper end of a container embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of the rim which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 shows a vertical sectional view similar to that other.

, 2,925,757 Patented Feb. 23,- 1960 2 of Fig. 2 through the rim and the container wall illustrating these parts in their relation to associated sup porting blocks and pressure members by which the container wall is forced into the bead on the rim during the process of assembly;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing a bottom construction with an inwardly turned bead; and

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a modified form of container embodying the features of the present in vention.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is shown as being embodied in a container 10 comprising a cylindrical wall 11, formed preferably of fibreboard or other suitable non-metallic material, which may be made up by bending a sheet of such material into cylindrical form and then cementing or otherwise securing together the overlapping edges thereof or by the spiral winding of a continuous strip on a mandrel. According to the present invention, one or both ends of the cylindrical wall 11 are reinforced by a metal rim 12, formed of strip steel or the like, whichis formed as a complete annular member prior to its application to the wall 11, the overlapping ends of the metal rim being secured together by telescoping the ends of the bead 12 one within the The rim 12 comprises a cylindrical body portion 12 which fits closely within the upper end of the wall 11 and which is provided along its upper margin with an outwardly turned cylindrical bead 12 arranged with its edge 12c directed inwardly toward, but'spaced outwardly from, the cylindrical portion 12 The upper end of the wall 11 is turned outwardly in the process of assembly, by a relative endwise movement of the wall 11 and the rim 12, so that the upper edge of the container wall is curled to form a bead or enlargement 11 which occupies substantially or a major portion of the space within the bead 12 of the rim. By means of this construction, an interlocking connection is formed between the non-metallic wall 11 and the metal rim 12, whereby these parts are secured in fixed relation to each other without punching or otherwise deforming the rim or the container wall and without the use of any auxiliary fastening means. I

In forming the container illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the cylindrical wall 11 and the annular rim 12 are first formed, with the rim having the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 3; and this rim is then fitted within the container wall so that the rim and the wall occupy the relative positions shown by full lines in Fig. 4. The rim 12 is then supported on its inner side and on its upper end by a block 14 which fits within the body portion 12 of the rim and which is provided with an annular groove 14 of semicircular cross section which is adapted to receive the upper part of the head 12*. The container wall 11, occupying the position shown in Fig. 4, is supported on its inner side by a cylindrical block 15 and on its outer side by a sleeve 16 and an annular block 17. The block 17 is provided at its upper end with a groove 17 of circular cross section which fits the lower outer portion of the bead 12 The sleeve 16 occupies a position between the block 15 and the block 17 and it is cut away on its inner side to provide an annular recess 16 which receives the end of the annular wall 11. This wall is engaged at its lower end by the shoulder 16 formed at the lower end of the recess 16*- and, at the beginning of the process of assembly, the upper end 16 of the sleeve 16 is spaced somewhat below the lower edge of the bead 12 while the upper end 11 of the wall 11 extends through the space between the edge 12 of the bead and the body portion 12 of the rim and partially into the cavity of the bead 12*. When the parts have thus been ass ems? I sembled, a relative endwise movement of the sleeve 16 and the blocks 14, 15 and 17 is elfected' to cause the annular wall 11 to be projected into the head 12*, with the result that the upper extremity 11 of the nonmetallic wall is turned outwardly within the bead and caused to assume the tubular shape 11 which is illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and which is shown by full lines in Fig. 2. The rim and the container wall are then securely connected together and the blocks 14, 15 and 17 and the sleeve 16 maybe removed. In order to facilitate the curling of the upper end 11 of the cylindrical wall 11, it is preferably provided with a circumferential score line 11 as near as practicable to the upper' end 11 This score line crushes the fibre somewhat so that it bends readily as it is curled.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings there is shown a vertical section through the bottom edge portion of the container, illustrating the practice of curling the metal rim inwardly instead of outwardly. In this construction the metal rim 18 has a cylindrical body portion 18*- which fits closely over theouter side of the annular wall 11 and this body portion is united with an inwardly curled bead 18 within which the lower edge portion of the annular wall 11 is curled in the manner described above, as shown at 11 The annular wall is thus firmly united with the rim '18' and the bead 18* provides a support for the bottom wall 19 of the container. The bottom edge of the annular wall is preferably provided with annular score line 11 to facilitate the curling of the wall within the bead; The ends of the bead 18 may be telescoped one within the other to unite the ends and form a complete annular rim. If desired the construction shown in Fig. could be employed at the top of the wall 11.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, there is shown a modified form of the'invention which is of rectangular horizontal cross section and which is provided around its upper margin with a depending flange reinforced along its edge-by a' metallic n'm. In this modification, the container 20 comprises an outer wall 21 and a bottom wall 22 which may be formed of fibreboard or other. suitable non-metallic material by any of the well-known methods. This container wall 21 is reversely bent along its upper edgeZl to form an outer depending flange 21 and this flange 21 is reinforced along its edge by a metallic rim 23 which is constructed as a continuous member of rectangular form before it is applied to the flange 21*. This metallic rim.23 comprises a body portion 25 shaped to fit within the flange 21 and it is provided along its lower edge with an outwardly curled bead 23 which has its edge23 spaced from the body. portion 23 of the rim to form a slot which receives the body of the non metallic flange 21*. After the flange 21 and the rim' 23 have been placed in telescoping relationship, a relative movement of the flange and the rim is effected by'suitable means, such as that previously described, in orderto cause the edge of the flange 21 to be curled outwardly and upwardly, thus providing an enlargement 21 which occupies the hollow bead 23 and thus retains the rim securely in place on the depending flange of the container wall. By this means, a non-metallic container wall is reinforced and the depending flange is provided with a marginal portion which may serve as a handle for moving the container and its contents.

It will be noted that in each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention the bead of the rim is preferably of such size that ifthe thickness of the container wall is expressed as t, the diameter of the bead is approximately 3: and the radius is approximately l /zt. This leaves a hollow space within the bead formed by the rolled or curled container wall,

Although two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in connection with the explanation of one method of forming the improved container, it will be understood that the container maybe constructed in various forms and that the method may be practiced in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a container which com.- prises the steps of forming a wall for the body of the container, forming a metal rim of a size to fit an end of the wall and provided with a hollow curled bead having its edge spaced from the body portion of said rim to form a gap therebetween, annularly scoring said wall adjacent said end thereof to facilitate curling thereof, fitting said rim upon said end of said wall with the end portion of said wall occupying said gap, and then effecting relative endwise movement of said wall and said rim to cause the end portion of said wall to bear against and follow the curve of the interior surface of said bead to curlsaid end portion of said wall and form another bead within said first named head.

2. The method of forming a container which comprises the steps of forming an upstanding wall for the c0ntainer,.forming a metal rim having a body portion of a size to fit an end of the wall and having a hollow bead curved substantially circularly through an arc of approximately 270 whereby the free edge of the head faces the body portion of said rim with a gap provided therebetween, fitting said rim upon the end of said wall with the end portion of said wall occupying said gap, and then effecting relative endwise movement of said wall and said rim to cause the end portion of said wall to bear against and follow the curve of the interior surface of said bead to curl said end portion of said wall and bring the edge extremity of said wall into abutting position against the side of said wall.

p 3. The method of forming a container as set forth in claim 2, wherein said wall for the body of said container is formed with a thickness 1 and saidbead is formed with an internal diameter of approximately 3t.

4. The method of forming a container which comprises the steps of forming a cylindrical wall of a thickness t for the body of the container, forming a metal rim of a size to fit an end of the wall and provided with a cylindrical portion and a hollow bead curved about a radius of approximately I l 2t and at least through an arc of approximately 270 whereby the free edge of the bead faces another portion of said rim with a gap being provided therebetween, fitting said rim upon the end of said wall with the end portion of said wall occupying said gap, and then effecting relative axial movement of said wall and said rim to cause the end portion of said wall to bear against and follow the curve of the interior surface ofsaid head to curl said end portion of said wall and form another bead within said first-mentioned bead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 931,233 Stiehle Aug. 17, 1909 935,959 Brewington Oct. 5, 1909 1,256,733 Schriner Feb. 19, 1918 1,590,747: Hulbert June 29, 1926 2,085,034 Magill June 29, 1937 2,232,037 Powell Feb. 18, 1941 2,311,675 Magill' Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,355 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1935 434,914 Germany Oct. 4, 1956 

